Disney and Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is heading for box office history with an $84.5 million opening day in U.S., the second-biggest domestic launch ever and enough to match the first day of the $207.4 million opening weekend record for 2012’s “The Avengers.”

Friday’s first-day number for “Age of Ultron” trails only the $91 million opening-day record set in July 2011 by Warner Bros.’ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.” But it is an impressive 4.5% ahead of the $80.8 million opening day of “The Avengers” three years ago.

If “Ultron” doesn’t break “The Avengers'” record, it will still finish far ahead of the launch weekend for Disney-Marvel’s “Iron Man 3,” currently the second-highest opening weekend with $174.1 million in May 2013.